Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-09-29
FRIGHTFUL EXECUTION.
The Awful Death of Ling Chi De-
scribed by am Eyewitness.


its tortures, of which the pulling on
of nails, beating on the face with ;
stiff piece of leather until the features
are indistinguishable, suspending b,
the thumbs or toes, or starving t.
death in cage, are among the mild
est. Many, of course, are quite unfi
for public description, and the Ling
Chi" is possibly not the least abomin
able and revolving. 1t is, moreover
only inflicted in very heinous cases
such as the murder of a blood rela
tion. The condemned man in this
instance poisoned his sister.
The execution was fixed to take
place at 10 o'clock, and by $50 We
had arrived at the scene of actions
sort of narrow lane about eighty yards
long, formed by two rows of pottery
sheds and terminating at one end by
pair of massive wooden doors, at the
other by high whitewashed wall-a
cul-de-sac. A huge wooden cross was
erected close under this wall.
Having taken up our station on one
of the roofs, at distance of about DC
feet from the cross, We had not long
to wait before the Mandarin-the Off
cial deputed to superintend the carry
ing out of the sentence-arrived. He
was preceded by about dozen soldiers
armed with rattan canes, which they
laid about them pretty freely to clear
the way for the coming procession Of
sedan chairs. An interval of about
ten minutes, and an increasing hub
bub and movement of the crowd at
the gateway heralded the approach OF
the condemned man, who was pres
emily brought in in a large basket,
carried by two coolies, his arms and
legs being securely bound. A strip OF
wood, covered with characters indi-
eating the punishment about to be in
hicted, was stuck into his clothing at
the back of his neck. He was young,
apparently about 30 years of age. 1t
is said that the friends of prisoners
sometimes bribe the jailer to drug
them before these terrible executions.
If so, this had obviously not been done
in the present instance, for the poor
wretch seemed in perfect possession
of his senses, and had a wild, defiant
look on his face, which he carried to
the last. Arrived at the foot of the
cross, the basket was set down and its
inmate assisted out. He was then
with the exception of waist-cloth)
stripped naked and placed against the
cross.
The process of pinioning took an in
terminable time, and the poor wretch
was very roughly handled. 1 could
see the perspiration pouring down his
face as the fierce sun beat upon his
unprotected head and shoulders. He
was bound to the cross with thin bam-
boo strips round his ankles, and above
the knees, and round the waist; his
wrists were secured to the arms of the
cross, and his head kept fast by two
or three turns of the bamboo strip
across the eyes and in the mouth, the
last acting as very efficient gag.
The executioner now made his ap-
pearance, carrying, wrapped in a
piece of ragged cloth, a bundle OF
swords and knives, which, with the
utmost coolness and precision, he laid
upon the ground under the very nose
of his victim. He then seized a
knife, terrible broad -bladed weapon,
about ten inches long, and barred his
arms to the elbow. All was now
ready. An inquiring look toward the
Mandarin (who still sat in his sedan
Immediately under us), an affirmative
nod from that official and the work of
butchery commenced.
Two deep cuts over each eye and
temple, deliberately executed, began
the operation-gashes which turned
great pieces of flesh over and left the
bone exposed-then cut down each
cheek and deeper one over each
shoulder and under each armpit,
severing the tendons are arteries and
deluging the place with blood. Cir
cular cuts to the bone in each upper
arm and forearm followed, and then,
stepping back to get more scope, the
human devil who acted as executioner
hacked off the right hand with one
blow. A large piece of flesh was then
cut (or rather dug out of each thigh
and from over each knee, and the
flesh torn off both knee caps. The
calves of both legs were then cut off.
The executioner then desisted for a
few moments, and wiping his hands
with cloth. contemplated his handi-
work with evident satisfaction, very
much as skillful surgeon would do
after successful operation. 1 should
mention that the cuts ] have described
we're not given quickly, but the knife
drawn deliberately through the flesh,
occupying at least twenty or thirty
.,,oo,Jo 90 oh tino
Another and smaller knife was now
selected and driven into the hilt under
the right breast bone, the executioner
working it about, while his assistants
famed his wretched victim with
large palm leaf fan for the
double purpose of keeping off the
flies, which had already assembled in
large numbers, and hiding the hide
GUS contortions of the dying mans
features, for he was not yet dead, as l
could see by the working and twitch-
ing of the fingers OF the remaining
hand. Ten or twelve seconds more OF
this diabolical torture and he was cut
down from the cross to fall, inert and
helpless, on his knees and face.
One assistant now held back his
arms. while second held out his pig
tail at full length before him. Chang
ing his knife for a big, heavy-looking
sword, about five inches broad at
the cutting point, and which he ne
held in both hands, the executloner
stepped back pace, and, measuring
his distance, with one clean stroke,
which l heard as well as saw, severed
the head from the body at a blow.
The coup de grace given, the Mandarin
disappeared, the gates were thrown
open and the crowd poured in to wit
ness the final cutting up OF the body.
The whole operation from its COM
mencement probably occupied fve
minutes, but it seemed ike gooo
hour to me.-[New York Truth.
The G.. A. II. illustrated Herald
This office is noar aseU supplied wath
the sDIend;d q A X. edition of the H.